GREAT LAKES, Ill., June 15, 2016 — Lean physique, spray tan, tiny sequin bikini, makeup and hair done. The hunger, the exhaustion and the hours of training all came together for one moment under the lights. Showtime.

Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Annemarie E. Baker, a 14-year military veteran and a mother, embraced this rigorous lifestyle to achieve victory over body and mind as she forged herself into a warrior figure. She said the pains and gains were worth it when she finally took the stage at her first competition.

“Bodybuilding is so much more than lifting weights and dieting,” said Baker, who competed in her first competition May 14. “You learn things about yourself you never knew. You push yourself not only physically, but mentally and emotionally.”

Women like Baker have proven bodybuilding competitions no longer belong exclusively to the men, as more and more women — and especially mothers — have embraced the essence of these competitions. Across the country, bodybuilding competitions have continued to expand figure and physique categories to include the new generation of female competitors who desire more than just a bikini contest.

“Many girls start in figure [competition] but find they can build the muscle necessary for the physique competition, and they enjoy the difference it makes,” said Baker, who aimed for the physique category for her first competition.

More Women Embrace Bodybuilding

This newer generation of bodybuilders has harnessed the power of social media in their search for inspiration for self-improvement. A quick search across social media sites in 2016 produced countless selfies of fit moms, run-time snapshots, and motivational pics all focused upon building self-confidence through fitness. Even celebrities jumped on the trend when Real Housewife of Orange County Tamra Judge tweeted her transformation into a bodybuilder the same year.

For Baker, she wanted more than self-improvement — she wanted the sense of accomplishment attainable only through discipline and rigorous training.

“You hear all the time about people who start training to compete and end up quitting after months of hard work. I wanted to push myself to not be one of those people,” she said. “My main goal was to, at the end of the day, be able to look in the mirror and say I did everything I was supposed to. I pushed myself to the max.”

And she proved the sacrifice and discipline paid off when she won first place at the 2016 National Physique Committee Gran Prix Natural competition in Rockford, Illinois, May 14. The win qualified her to compete in national USA bodybuilding competitions.

Focusing on Success

While preparing for the competition, Baker’s life developed something akin to a reality TV show, as her days became a regularly scheduled program of gym, eat, laundry, chores, sleep. Everything had a time slot in the day.

“I had to make a routine and stick to it 100 percent, no matter what,” she said about preparing for the competition. “If I stuck to it, I was good. Focus. Focus. Focus.”

At first, Baker said, she found the strict diet and routine a little disheartening, but her coach and family helped her find balance.

“I had a coach that was there to make sure I was doing everything I needed to be doing at the right time, the right way,” she said. “He made sure I was staying healthy and taking care of my body throughout the transformation.

“I had an amazing support network in all areas,” Baker continued. “My family was my emotional rock. Along with the diet and working out comes an emotional roller coaster. They stayed focused along with me… and were there whenever I needed [them]. My son was a huge motivation for me. I wanted to make him proud and show him that once you start something, no matter how hard it gets, you have to finish it.”

Competitive Spirit

Baker attributes her decision to compete to her military career. She had always been athletic, lifted weights and was involved in multiple sporting events, she said, but her competitive spirit hungered for a new challenge when she began her transformation in September.

“Being physically fit is a huge part of being a Marine,” she said. “Preparing for this competition, although it is a different type of physical fitness than what the Marine Corps requires, proves if you work hard at it and don’t give up on yourself, you can accomplish anything.”

And it doesn’t hurt that she improved her ability to perform dead-hang pull-ups for the Marine Corps physical fitness test.

She has since begun preparing mentally, physically and emotionally for her next competition, scheduled Nov. 12.

Baker said she has learned a lot of about herself, her family, and the cost of commitment to bodybuilding. This experience, she said, helped to shape her perspective on using a single mental focus to overcome physical limitations and pushing away the fear of failure to see how much she has accomplished.

Because regardless of the outcome in any competition, she said, “it is not about where you place or if you win. … This is about how far you have come.”